Spectacular and devastating were the two words being used in abundance last Saturday night, as fans described the fourth-round knockout victory scored by World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion, Jamaica's Nicholas 'The Axeman' Walters, over Mexico's Alberto Garza at the American Bank Center, in Corpus Christi,Texas.
[Jason Morgan], 30, who broke the national record twice this season, and who along with Traves Smikle became the first two Jamaicans to ever represent the country at the Olympics by achieving the Olympic 'A' standard of 65 metres, went into the Games with a season best of 67.15m. However, at the Games he was a shadow of himself, failing to throw beyond 60 metres and was subsequently eliminated during the preliminary round. "Yes, I should have competed better at the Games but I think I became too relaxed, too complacent," he conceded.
Professor [Wayne McLaughlin], a biochemist, responded saying that while the stimulant was of a higher concentration in the athlete s sample - 720 nanograms per millilitre - it would be difficult to say since the effects of the stimulant on an athlete vary depending on the individual. He did acknowledge, however, that the stimulant could have had a direct effect on the athlete s neurotransmitters, which could mean that the athlete may have been aware of the effects on his body.
Waterhouse had the better of the champions on the previous occasions they met, and as Harbour View's closest rivals, a win over them would have given Waterhouse something to hold on to. [Nicholas Beckett] was adamant that they would not be beaten, and especially not at their home ground. Amid celebrations of players, club officials and spectators, Harbour View Football Club's captain, Montrose Phinn (left), is presented the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) trophy by (from second left) Edward Seaga, chairman, Premier League Clubs Association, Erin Mitchell, brand manager, Red Stripe and Captain Horace Burrell, president, Jamaica Football Federation, following the Monday Night R5PL match between the east Kingston team and Waterhouse at Harbour View Stadium. Harbour View won 2-0. "One of the Waterhouse defenders was saying to watch me because I am good in the air. I turned back, giving the impression that I was not interested and then peeled off and headed back in to score," said Beckett of his fourth goal of the season.
"It's hard to explain," [Bolt] said. "I don't really know what went wrong." "I was looking to come here for a good time. I guess it's one of those days," he said. "I just never got going." "I did some starts and I was flying from the blocks so I said, "Yeah, this is good". I can't tell you what happened."
"It's the training of PE teachers, and if they don't have a PE teacher, then another that's interested in physical activity and getting children healthy! its not only about getting them involved in a formal sport, there are many children with abilities and we iust want our children to know now important it is for them to be physical and see the emotional and health benefits of getting that habit from an early age, [Heidi Clarke] added. "It helps to foster leadership, friendships and all of those things to exert energy positively."
"Usain (Bolt) and I said let's go to Australia and play some cricket; let's check out the Big Bash and see what it is all about," he noted. "With this hard training in track and field and I know that cricket training is not that hard and I can make the team and it is my first love, I would go to play cricket," he declared. "I want to finish this (athletics) as early as possible, so I can play my cricket: like somewhere around 30, 29, 28. in that region," he added. [Yohan Blake] was last month given the honour of being the first noncricketer to ring the bell at the 'home of cricket', Lord's, in England. He did so ahead of the start of the third Test match between England and South Africa.
His season-opener, which is just six centimetres off the A standard mark of 66 metres, saw [Jason Morgan] being ranked number one in the world at the time. He has since been supplanted by Australia's 22-year-old phenom, Julian Wruk, who since March 30 has recorded throws of 66.0lm, 66.05m and 66.32m. Morgan's mark now ranks him the second-best thrower in the world this year.
'It wasn't easy," said Jamaica coach Winfried Schäfer. "Costa Rica are a very good team. At 1-0 down, I change team. The goalkeeper did well in the first half and not too well in the second half. We still have [a] chance. Next game is against US in US in a month's time. We thank 'Tuffy'." Striker [Jermaine] 'Tuffy' [Anderson] hails the Jamaican crowd following the 1-1 draw against Costa Rica in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying action at the National Stadium. Anderson scored for Jamaica.
"I think we will do fairly well," said [Aiken]. "I think we have a good set of girls going over there that will do us very proud. We know the task ahead, and we know what we are going to come up against, and so we just need to put it together as a team," added Aiken, who plays for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championships in Australia and New Zealand.
[Campbell-Brown] has been under scrutiny with Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson also testing positive for banned substances, which also forced them to miss the 2013 World Championships. She was suspended pending a Jamaican disciplinary committee review, which deemed a reprimand sufficient because the banned substance was not used for performance enhancement. "Yes, I lost out on the opportunity to compete for most of 2013 and the chance to defend my World 200m title, however, I press on," noted Campbell-Brown, who missed the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Moscow Russia last August.
"I don't know, I really hope that I am there though. I will be working hard and hopefully I can improve my times and start to run some really fast times again," [Asafa Powell] said. "But if I keep doing that, then I will be there (2016 Olympic Games)." "I would love to be in Brazil," said Powell Thursday, August 23 during an interactive online question and answer session with his fans through his sponsor LIME. A very light-hearted Powell, while joking about his age, says he will be working hard to give himself a chance of making the trip to Rio and he is hopeful that he will still be active by the time the next instalment of the Olympic Games comes around.
JAMAICA'S PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller says athletes who represented the country in last month's Olympic Games in London will be rewarded for their efforts. Earlier this month, Sports Minister Natalie Neita-Headley announced plans to stage celebrations in honour of the athletes on the weekend of National Heroes' Day, around the middle of October.
Jamaican [James Beckford], a two-time World Championship medallist, posted a long jump victory at 8.09 metres, while Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Modibo and the U.S. Virgin Islands' Láveme Jones logged victories on the track. Jones clocked a wind-assisted 22.67 seconds to land the women's 200 metres, chased by American Wyllesheia Myrick (23.05) and Britain's Emily Freeman (23.15). In the women's 400 metres, Guyana's 2002 Commonwealth Games champion Aliann Pompey clocked 52.41 seconds for the runner-up spot behind Ireland's Joanne Cuddihy (52.26).
We appreciate that in Mrs [Campbell-Brown]'s case, JADCO operated merely as an agent for the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), under whose auspices she performed last year when she returned a positive drug test. It is also noted that JADCO was not the agency responsible for the adjudication of Mrs Campbell-Brown's case.
Jamaica's veronica Campbell-Brown waves after winning the Women's 100 meters at the Diamond League Athletics meeting on Sunday May 15. in Shanghai, China. American Lashinda Demus. the meet's record holder, finished runner up in a season's best time of 54.58 seconds, with Olympic and World champion Melaine Walker of Jamaica coming third, also in an SB 54.96. The best of the other Caribbean performances came from Jamaican Dwight Thomas. He also finished fourth in the men's 110 hurdles, clocking a season's best 13.31.
"It was a really hard tournament, but I surprised myself by reaching the semis," said [Bicknell]. "These players are very good, but the tournaments I have played earlier this year have really prepared me well." "I would like to thank my parents and coaches, who have helped to develop my career," a very elated Bicknell said. "He has improved tremendously, listens well, is very competitive, trains non-stop and is very focused. I know he will win one of these high-level tournaments in the future," predicted [Mel Spence].
[Yohan Blake], who will be defending his 10Om crown in Moscow next summer, is widely known to be an avid fan of the sport. Several decent showings in local cricket competitions were expected to be a precursor to his appearance at the massive Big Bash Twenty20 league in Australia in a few weeks. However, it seems Blake and his coach, Glen Mills, have struck a deal of sorts. "Coach (Glen) Mills had a talk with me and he told me that I have the (100m World) title to defend, so I should focus on that and then the other year (2014) is going to be an off year, so I can play my cricket and also run, so I am just going to wait until next year to look at the cricket," Blake told The Gleaner.
"I am feeling confident more than ever and I think next year it's going to be really hard for anybody coming up against me because I will be stronger, I will be much fitter and I will be much faster. Each year I grow day by day," said [Yohan Blake], nicknamed The Beast' for his work ethic. During an interview on local television in late 2008, [Bolt] named Blake as "a potential threat" to his reign. "My true potential was not at the Olympics because if you look back at my races after the Olympics I was running really fast. I was really nervous. If you touch me I would have fallen. That's how nervous I was but I covered it up pretty well," said Blake.
Bolt will be part of a star-studded cast that includes compatriot Veronica Campbell-Brown in the women's 100, as well as LaShawn Merritt and Oscar Pistorius in the 400, Christian Cantwell and Dylan Armstrong in the shot put, Dayron Robles at 110m hurdles, and Barbora Spotakova in the javelin.
[Bolt], who continued his global domination at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay, added to his IAAF World Athlete of the Year Award by copping the Most Outstanding Performer (Male) for 2012 and 2013 awards at the function.
In one of the rare occasions that the big sprinter failed to break the 10-second barrier, he was chased to the line by Racers Track club teammate Kemar Bailey-Cole, who posted an identical time. Another teammate of Bolt's Antiguan Daniel Bailey was third in a time of 10.23.
"A few months ago, a representative from Alpha Boys' Home reached out to [Nugent Walker] (Walker) asking if he would consider asking me to visit the boys', home. NJ shared the convo with me and I considered it a no-brainer to accept the invitation. The rep thought it would be great motivation to the boys for me to come by and just share my experience with them, and most importantly believing in one's dreams and working hard towards it. I said to NJ, however, I just didn't want to go share just words of encouragement, but also offer some gifts, thus we contacted Puma and got some items." Bolt, one of the German sportswear company's most recognisable brand ambassadors explained.
"Suppose I don't make any quicker times in the 100, I would love to be able to run 18-something seconds in the 200, even if it was an 18.99 race," [Bolt] said in his 291-page book. "I don't think it's totally out of reach in the next season or so. Seriously, who would be surprised if I did it? Who's going to stop me from going faster?" Bolt asked. 'The only man who can bring an end to my status as a star of track and field in the next couple of years is me, and I'm a phenomenon, a serious competitor - a legend for my generation. Believe me, my time isn't up just yet."
WORLD'S FASTEST man Usain Bolt success could be due to simply human evolution says Canadian Olympic 100m gold medallist Donovan Bailey Following up on a promising youth career, Bolt has gone on to dominate world sprinting since bursting on to the scene big time, with three gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
MORE ACCUSTOMED breaking records at high speed, sprint sensation Usain Bolt will slow his pace later this with the staging of the 'Usain Bolt Walkathon'. "I run really fast but the truth is that I'm a really slow walker." [Usain Bolt] laughed during Sunday's. May 15 launch at the Bustamante Hospital for Children for the event, which is scheduled for sometime in November this year. "This partnership is very important and will help to protect the future of this country," Bolt said. 'It's a big step for me. Over the years, I nave been saying that kids are the future so when I was approached to do this, it was a real honour and I'm looking forward to continue doing my best to do what I can to help the kids."
The world's fastest man had expressed some doubt regarding his participation at the Rio showpiece, which will take place in four years' time. Bolt, after emulating his performance in Beijing four years ago and London, a few weeks ago, the sprinter admitted to being uncertain about the future and a possible target. It seems, however, that the sprinter is now a bit more certain. While admitting that he is likely to be past his prime at the next Olympic Games, in which the sprinter will turn 30 years old, he will certainly compete.
None were brighter than the wildly popular Usain Bolt's world record sprint double, and the Jamaican's three gold medals overall. Bolt shattered his own 100 meters mark of 9.69 seconds, set at last year's Olympic Games in China, with a stunning 9.58 on the second night of the WCA. Tyson Gay of the United States finished "second in an American record 9.71, and Jamaica's Asaf a Powell third in 9.84. The 6' 5'' sprint star, who celebrated his 23rd birthday during the WCA, returned days later to the Olympic Stadium track to clock 19.19 in the 200 meters and break his other individual world mark set at the '08 Olympics. That result took [Bolt] more by surprise. In the women's 4x400 relay, Jamaica's team of Rosemarie White, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shereefa Lloyd and Shericka [Gordon Williams] finished second to the U.S. A silver was also earned by Cuba's Yarelis Barrios in the women's discus, while T&T's Renny Quow won bronze in the 400 meters. His country's team of Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callander and Richard Thompson, captured silver in the 4x100.
As expected, the world's top athletes - Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce - walked away with top honours at Scotiabank/Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Golden Cleats Awards. I will be looking forward to an extraordinary year with these young athletes as they continue to dominate, said Fraser-Pryce, in reference to the likes of IAAF World Youth stars Bryan, Thompson, Michael 0'Hara, Jaheel Hyde, Martin Manley and Marvin Williams, who helped Jamaica to a historic table-topping performance at the championships held in Donetsk, Ukraine, earlier this year.
Jamaica's Usain Bolt and [Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pruce]-Pryce, along with Jessica Ennis, Missy Franklin, Andy Murray, Michael Phelps, Ye Shiwen, Bradley Wiggins and Serena Williams, are among those who received nominations when the shortlist was announced in Rio de Janeiro Monday, December 17. With the exception of Lindsey Vonn, who won her fourth overall skiing World Cup in five years, the nominations for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award are all dominated by the Olympics. Jamaica's Shelly- Ann Fraser-Pryce, the fastest woman on earth after successfully defending her 100m Olympic title, and Britain's Jessica Ennis, who won the heptathlon gold in front of an ecstatic home crowd, are also among the six nominees.
"We put that deal together with [Sheri-Ann Brooks] because we believe that her commitment to Caribbean sports, to Jamaica and to young people is consistent with what Solotel wants from its brand ambassadors and also mirrors Solotel's commitment to providing support and quality service throughout the Caribbean as well," [Kenneth Lewis] added.
[By the way [Anthony Morgan], in another University publication you're quoted as saying: "I think the bigger issue is how little we know about the history and historical contributions of Jamaicans." Well, the issue is way bigger than Jamaica; it's a "race" issue, targeting and ridiculing Black people, all of whom are people of African descent, sons and daughters of slaves.] So those students, froshers, "...were just having fun," eh? There was "nò mal-intent?" according to director [Michel Patry]. Surely they could've found another and more interesting and humanly innocuous way to have (even more) fun. The blackface skit is a sad cliché, it's passé, plus it's not funny. Except for [White] people as they seek ways to fulfill their final stage of life: their pursuit of happiness, by any means. It serves us right; it's the 'house divided' maxim. We are fractured from pulling in so many directions. We lack cohesion and the essential elements that hold people together to secure a strong !foundation. We've long cut the ties that bind, so it's very easy for people to have their way with us.
In the Class II race for boys ages 14-15, St. Jago's Raheem Chambers clocked 10.29 seconds to smash [Yohan Blake]'s mark of 10.34 set in 2006. He was followed home by Jhevaughn Matherson of Kingston College, who was timed in 10.37. The K.C. sprinter would turn the table on Chambers in the 200 meters the following day. The frenzied crowd had barely settled down after the Class II100, when K.C.'s Zharnel Hughes, who is from Anguilla, stunned them again with 10.12 seconds in the Class I event for ages 16-19. He emerged victor from a stirring battle with Jevaughn Minzie of Bog Walk High, whose 10.16 also bettered Blake's 2007 mark of 10.21. Champs' final day offered even more record shattering performances in front a capacity National Stadium crowd of roughly 35,000, with hundreds more locked outside. Calabar's Javon Francis, a medalist on Jamaica's 4x400 meters team at the 2013 senior World Championships in Athletics, toppled the Class I 400 meters set by Jamaica's current super sprinter Usain Bolt in 2003. Francis clocked 45 seconds, erasing Bolt's mark of 45.35.
[Veronica Campbell-Brown] found herself back in seventh place at one stage in the race, but powered her way past the field, which included longstanding nemesis Allyson Felix, to win in 11.01 seconds. Felix (11.13) placed fifth, with Trinidad and Tobago's KellyAnn Baptiste (1 1 .06) second and Jamaica's Carrie Russell (11.08) third. "I felt a little bit of energy in my last couple steps to push forward. It was so electrifying (inside the stadium), I could hear people in the stands saying, 'It is your home, don't let anybody beat you." It is always good to compete here, it is very fun and the crowd motivates me a lot, so it is great."
No doubt the friendly, but highly-charged rivalry between Jamaica's two world record holders. [Yohan Blake] and Bolt will be the focus of attention after what has been a highlight year for both. But other Caribbean sprinters such as St. Kitts' [Kim Collins] and Trinidad and Tobago's [Richard Thompson] and fellow Jamaican Powell cannot be ruled out of the medal mix in the 100 and 200 meters. The 22-year-old Blake made a show of his aspirations when he easily won last year's World Championships after Bolt was disqualified: he then made a permanent dent in Bolt's armor of invincibility by clobbering him twice (100m and 200m) at Jamaica's Olympic trials earlier this month. Other Caribbean athletes poised to make their mark in London are Grenada's Rondell Bartolomew, (400m), Ryan Braithwaite à former World Championship gold medalist of Barbados, (110m Hurdles); St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Kineke Alexander (Women's 400m), Antiguan sprinter Daniel Bailey, (100m), and Guyana's Aliann Pompey, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist (Women's 400m).
"We're all big men, it won't affect our performance. We have to get on with it. It's not a case of what I've said upsetting the team," [Chris Gayle] said. "I am definitely not giving up the captaincy after this Test match. I think I still have a big part to play in West Indies cricket," Gayle said. "It takes a toll on your body and your mental strength. It can drain you a bit," said Gayle, whom the Guardian quoted on Tuesday as saying he preferred Twenty20 cricket to Test cricket.
[Yohan Blake], regarded by many as a potential heir to top local athletes like former world record holder Asafa Powell and current double world record holder, Usain Bolt, has been creating waves at the senior level for the past few seasons. Add the above to his impressive achievements at the junior level, the national junior record holder and tied with Nigeria's Seun Ogunkoya as the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier, it seems Racers may well have another star in their midst.
Alphanso Cunningham hit world record form last Friday, July 26 to capture Jamaica s first gold medal at the 2013 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France. The 32-year-old Cunningham won the F52-54 Javelin final with a throw of 24.30 metres to claim the country s second medal to date.
"The team that Jamaica currently has, I am confident will make us all very proud," [Horace I Burrell]- said, while speaking at a sponsorship announcement cere^ mony for the local coaching school held at the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) head office, Wednesday, April 4. "I was speaking with the President of the United States Football' Federation and he tells me that the US are now trembling because they know that Jamaica has a strong front line and of all the teams in CONCACAF, they are afraid of two teams. Jamaica and Mexico." Burrell said.
'It's a phenomenal season, starting from the first track meet indoors when I ran two personal best times in the 60m and 60m hurdles and it just transferred to the outdoor season. I'm very happy about how things have gone this year," said Williams, a student at the Graham-coached Johnson C. Smith University. 'It really didn't cross my mind at all, to be honest. During the season my coach and I spoke and he asked me if I wanted to go to Jamaica and to the trials and naturally my answer was 'yes', because I always look forward to competing in Jamaica. But making the team and winning at trials was never in my head," Williams admitted.
News broke on July 14 that five Jamaican athletes had failed drug tests at the national championships in June, setting off one of the biggest drug scandals ever faced by Jamaican athletes and authorities. In addition to [Smikle], global stars, former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic 100-metre silver medalist She rone Simpson, as well as Allison Randall and 19-year-old Damar Robinson also failed drug tests. The news broke one month after it was announced that Veronica Campbell Brown, another global star and two-time Olympic 200-metre champion, had failed a drug test after competing at the Jamaica International Invitational in May.
Former Herbert Morrison Technical star also sprinted his way into the history books, becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back 100m titles at the Championships.
Rupert Green and Judith Dinnal on Sunday, January 5 won the respective male and female Run sections of inaugural LIME Foundation 6K Walk/Run held in Waterford in Portmore, St Catherine. Green, who ran unattached, won in 19:00.82 minutes over Kemar Leslie, 19:25.09, and Robin Rowe, 20:09.42, both of Mavis Bank Track Club. Among the women, Dinnal was a comfortable winner in 25:37.43, over Jilliane Lewis, 28:38.89, of We Got The Runs, and Floret Kelly of Double Marchers, who was third in 30:49.38.
"I just could not find the money to go to Boston at short notice, plus I don't believe that to represent Jamaica, I should have had to travel to Boston at my expense, " [Dusard] reiterated. "We appointed a coach who had a dojo in Boston. We took up this opportunity to train there to evaluate the guys. We already had four athletes representing Jamaica in Boston. Would it be fair for them to come to Jamaica to train?" "Yes, he would have to travel at his expense because we don't have that amount of funds," [Chris Chok] said, adding that Dusard had not trained with the JTF locally since 2011 and needed to be assessed.
Two-time Olympic 100 metres champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (second left), winning the women's Olympic Development 100 metres in 11 .47 seconds at the Queen's/Grace Jackson Invitational meet at the National Stadium Saturday, January 26. Two time Olympic 100-metre champion ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce displayed good early-season form to win the women's sprint event at the Queen's/Grace Jackson Invitational meet at the National Stadium on Saturday, January 26.
Florida-based [Andre Berto], holder of the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title, announced in a press release last month that he was ""physically and emotionally unable to prepare" for his clash with [Shane Mosley] and withdrew from the Jan. 30 main bout in Las Vegas. "I'm sorry for the losses that Andre and all of the Haitian people are suffering. I have everyone in my prayers," Mosley added.
"I got a lot of offers from a number of North American colleges, but I chose UWI, Mona because I don't really plan on leaving Jamaica. I was supposed to leave but decided to stay. I have grown and developed my skills here and I think it is the best option for me," [Federick Dacres] said. Ten sports scholarships were also awarded to footballers, with former Wolmer's Boys' goalkeeper Amal Knight leading a contingent, which also includes Taniel McKenzie, Davian Montaque, Shamal Thomas, Mitch Wright, Jerondy Henry, Daryl Denny and females Samantha Watson, Alicia Richards and Trudi Ann Young. The UWI netball programme will also be strengthened with the acquisition of Terry Ann Jones and national Under-21 Sunshine Girl Antionette Stone. Basketballers Kedar Clarke and Damion Johnson will also take up sports scholarships, along with volleyballers Solene Walker and Wolmer's Girls standout Vanessa Jones.
[Dennis Johnson] received TJB's Pioneer Award and Johnson was recognized by the United States government as a Caribbean icon. He was presented with a U.S.
Jamaica also earned two silver medals, - Warren Weir in the men's 200 meters and the men's 4x400 meters relay. Nesta Carter won bronze in the 100, to round out Jamaica's total. Other Caribbean nations to reach the medal podium included Cuba, with a silver and two bronze for 23rd overall. Pedro Pablo Pichardo was second in the men's triple jump, while Yarelys Barrios and Yarisley Silva won bronze in the women's discus throw and pole vault, respectively.
